VietNamNet Bridge – Football referee Ha Anh Chien and referee assistant Tran Duy Khanh have been banned till the end of the V.League’s first leg following serious mistakes that made headlines for days.

Punishment: Referee Ha Anh Chien (right) seen working at the FLC Thanh Hoa and Song Lam Nghe An game on May 8. Chien has been sidelined due to a serious mistake made at the game. Photo zing.vn

Chien was to be the main referee of the round nine match between hosts FLC Thanh Hoa and Song Lam Nghe An on May 8.

The referee awarded Thanh Hoa with a penalty in the 87th minute when Song Lam Nghe An were leading 2-1.

Song Lam Nghe An’s Tran Dinh Hoang forced Pape Omar Faye down near the penalty area and when Chien approached the scene from the far side and saw the Senegal striker inside the box, he decided to award Thanh Hoa with a penalty shot.

Faye easily scored and Thanh Hoa managed to avoid a loss.

The Song Lam Nghe An players and their coach Ngo Quang Truong objected, but instead of reversing his decision, the referee handed Truong a red card.

In another incident, Khanh was the referee assistant in the match between Ha Noi T&T and Hai Phong at Hang Day Stadium in the same round.

Khanh was in a good position with a clear view when Nguyen Thanh Chung of Ha Noi T&T made a straight shot to Hai Phong’s net in the 25th minute. The ball crossed the line before being kicked out from the goalpost by Hai Phong defender Le Van Phu. When main referee Nguyen Hien Triet, who missed the action, did not recognise a goal for the hosts, Chung did not inform Triet of his error.

Ha Noi T&T eventually ended Hai Phong’s unbeaten streak with a 2-1 victory.

On May 9, Ho Van Chiem, general director of Song Lam Nghe An Football Jointstock Company, and coach Truong, who represented the entire team, sent a document to the Viet Nam Football Federation (VFF) and Viet Nam Professional Football Company (VPF) calling for a life ban for Chien.

Chien’s decision not only cost Song Lam Nghe An a win, but also caused much anger among the fans, the document said.

The head of the VFF’s Referee Committee, Nguyen Van Mui, called these mistakes serious. He said Chien’s wrong decision had affected the outcome of the match.

The bans were temporary and would be reviewed at a meeting by the end of the first leg on June 25, he said.

Cao Van Chong, general director of VPF which manages the tournament, also called Chien’s mistake terrible and confirmed the company would impose a hefty fine on him.

Chong said the mistake was unacceptable, had disappointed VPF and had strongly affected the transparency of the league.

Chien, through statements in several newspapers, admitted his mistake and sent an apology to Song Lam Nghe An.

“It was the end of the match and I was a little tired and standing far away from the scene. When I ran in, seeing Omar in the box, I decided it was a penalty,” Chien said.

“It all happened too fast and since I had already made my decision, it was really difficult to change it. When I watched the video tape again I knew I was wrong. I am sad and regret my mistake but it is too late to do anything. I want to convey my sincere apology to Song Lam Nghe An and their fans. I also want to say sorry to the (referee) committee because I failed to do my duty,” Chien said.

Chien was previously blamed for ‘helping’ FLC Thanh Hoa beat Hoang Anh Gia Lai 2-1 in a round 15 match last season.

During that game, the referee recognised Hoang Dinh Tung’s goal in the 82nd minute, although the striker had touched the ball with his hand.

With one point from the May 8 match, FLC Thanh Hoa is at second position with 16 points in the rankings and narrowed their gap to six points with leader Hai Phong.

Song Lam Nghe An rank 11 with only 10 points.

In the next round FLC Thanh Hoa will play Sai Gon FC, and Song Lam Nghe An will play SHB Da Nang at Chi Lang Stadium.

VNS